The collection and compilation of occupational supply data from formal, organized training programs were investigated to identify instances of multiple counting and undercounting of labor supply. The study combined a literature review; interviews with 274 individuals in 10 states involved in data production and use at the state or local level;…

A simplified method to gather and analyze cost data is presented for administrators of Handicapped Children's Early Education Programs, and specifically for members of the Technical Assistance Development System, North Carolina. After identifying benefits and liabilities associated with analyzing program costs, attention is focused on the internal…

Designed for teachers and researchers interested in the study of the composing process, this guide introduces a method of analysis that can be applied to data from a range of different cases. Specifically, the guide offers a simple, direct coding scheme for describing the movements occurring during composing that involves four procedures: teaching…

Congress, using Public Law 94-482 entitled Education Amendments of 1976, instructed the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to develop, implement, and operate the Vocational Education Data System (VEDS). As mandated by legislation, the primary purpose of VEDS is to provide a national reporting system to generate uniform data from the…

Papers on library statistics, which were presented at the 1983 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference, include: (1) "Network Statistics and Library Management," in which Glyn T. Evans (United States) suggests that network statistics can be used to improve internal library decisionmaking, enhance group resource…

This guide describes a management system for dealing with hyperactive, disruptive children within the classroom setting. The first step in the process involves a 45-minute classroom observation of the referred child by the psychologist. The psychologist collects frequency and duration baseline data on four classes of behavior: off task, talking…

At Michigan State University (MSU) we have developed and are testing a faculty survey instrument to gather institution-wide information on outreach activity. We have sought to define consistent quantitative measures that can be used both to describe the whole institution's investment of resources in engagement activities and to establish…

Student tracking systems are enabling increasing numbers of community colleges to respond to external demands for accountability with tangible measurements of student progress and institutional outcomes. Several recent trends in marketing, accountability, communications with students, and internal competition for resources have prompted interest…

Two handbooks that serve as a basis for each state's financial data reporting system for the National Center for Education Statistics are compared as part of the Education Data Improvement Project of the Council of Chief State School Officers. The Project's goal is to improve the quality of data submitted to the common core of data of the Center.…

Obtaining accurate, comprehensive data for vocational education has been one of the more elusive objectives of federal policy. Given the long history of unsuccessful attempts to improve the quality and scope of data on vocational education, it is important to understand the lessons of the past before embarking on a new data collection effort…

Building on previous discussions of Federal information inventory locator systems (FILS), this report explores issues related to FILS and identifies policy and implementation options that can best meet the competing rationales and requirements for FILS. The concept of a Government-wide Information Inventory/Locator System is explored, and it is…

This paper examines existing research regarding the problem of school dropouts. It examines the historical context of the problem and discusses current definitions and methods for identifying dropout characteristics and computing dropout rates. Few incentives exist for accurate record-keeping on dropouts. School finances are often linked to…

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) of the National Center for Education Statistics collects data from all sections of postsecondary education. For less-than-two-year institutions, the IPEDS collects data on fall enrollment, completions (earned awards and certificates), etc., from all public institutions in that category and…

The report is intended to provide educators, policy makers, legislators, and funding sources with the latest data on the progress of minorities in higher education. Included is information on high school completion and college participation rates for 18-to-24-year-olds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education General…

A wide gap exists between available information on community college students and the questions which are often posed about them. Since most available data focus on cross-sectional measures of enrollment and degrees awarded, they provide few insights into what happens to students who enter the colleges. The question-and-answer gap owes its…